Clamping tool



April 25, 1961 M. H. VOLLANS CLAMPING TOOL Filed Sept. 17, 1958 INVENTOR MAURICE H. VOLLANS 'CLAMPING TooL' Maurice H. Vollans, Forest Woods, R.R. 3, Orillia, Ontario, Canada Filed Sept. 17, 1958, Ser- No. 761,520 1 Claim; C1. 1460 This invention relates to a clamping tool to be used in Conjunction with a stapling machine using a large type flat staple in the formation of a carton or container from a carton blank for the shipment of merchandise.

It will be appreciated that this invention relates particularly to the formation of cartons from blanks consisting of four integral wall portions which present opposite pairs of flaps at top and bottom which are to be folded in pairs and secured together to close the top and bottom of the c'arton.' 1 I In the art of packaging merchandize for shipment in cardboard cartons, it has long been standard procedure to place a carton first upon a Wooden frame selected in accordance with the carton size and by folding the appended bottom fiaps into contact with the wooden frame, where they are held against separation, they can be readily secured together by means of staples driven and clinched by a stapling machine placed on top of the flaps. With the bottom thus formed the carton may then receive the merchandiie, the final step of packaging being the folding down of the opposite pairs of top flaps to close the top opening.

If a carton is substantially or completely full, the inner flaps are supported and willnot move away under the action 'of the clinching fingers of the stapling machine, and therefore, the inner and outer flaps can be readily stapled together to provide a top closure which will meet with shipping regulations.

When the commodity to be packaged is yieldable or a if the packaged article does not completely fill the carton, the unsupported flaps will be thrust ahead of the clinching fingers, the staple passing perhaps only through the outer flaps.

Accordingly, it has been the practice to seal all such cartons with tape, requiring the purchase of expensive equipment, the tape, and employing skilled labour to operate the equipment. This method of sealing must also meet with regulations and collectively, the cost has proved a very large item in the total cost of packaging merchandise.

While there are machines available on the market which have a piercing member to pierce the carton wall adjacent to the top and below the inner flaps to support the inner and outer flaps against separation whereupon they are then stapled together, this piercing member, leaves an opening in the carton wall which not only weakens it but gives access to the carton interior for dust and other contaminating material which clearly is not desirable.

It is therefore the principal object of this invention to provide a novel method and apparatus for holding the flaps of a closed carton end against separation and to support same against the forces exerted by a stapling machine from a position without the carton thereby obviating the standard wooden frames in sealing carton bottoms and the taping of carton tops which cannot be sealed by staples.

Another important object is to provide an apparatus 2,980,913 Patented Apr. 25, 1.961

which can be easily manipulated in conjunction with the operation of the stapling machine thereby increasing productivity.

Still another object is to provide a device which when used with a stapling machine will not interfere with the stapling machine and staple pattern which must conform to shipping regulations, while it is important to provide a device which can be economically produced.

The principal feature of this invention resides in providing a holder having a thin blade portion for insertion between the abutting flap edges of the outer flaps of the top or bottom of a closed carton end, the holder having a transverse support formation spaced from the end of the blade and adapted to be supported by the outer flaps, the end of the blade being adapted to be placed below the leading edge of one inner flap at a time, and'wedged upwardly against the leading edge of that flap to effect a clamping action therebetween sufficient to Withstand the force of the entering staple and clinching fingers of a stapling machine over substantially the whole area of contact of the inner and outer flaps.

Another important feature of this invention resides in providing a holder as aforesaid which because of its construction and position in relation to the inner and outer flaps automatically aligns and squares up the respective flaps and walls providing a package of a regular shape suitable for stacking.

Still another feature of this invention resides in the utilization of the holder in the manner aforesaid in that upon removal of the holder from the slit or' opening and after having stapled the respective flaps together, by virtue of the clamping action exerted on the flaps, there is a tendency for the abutting edges of the outer flaps to move together under the action of the clinched staples whereby the carton is substantially completely sealed.

Another feature of this invention resides in the ease of manipulation of the holder whereby there has been an increase in output over two-fold.

These and other objects and features will be appreciated on reading the following specification in conjunction with the sheet of drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the flap holder constructed in accordance with this invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational View of the flap holder of Figure 1;

Figure '3 is a perspective view, partly broken away of a carton of a type to be sealed by a stapling machine in conjunction with the holder of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a perspective View, partly broken away of the carton of Figure 3 showing the flaps folded into carton sealing relation with the holder of Figure 1 located in operative position;

Figure 5 is a vertical mid-sectional view of one end of the carton of Figure 4 illustrating the action of the holder and stapling machine;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the carton of Figure 4 showing the top flaps secured by staples for shipment; and

Figures 7, 8 and 9 are vertical sectional views illustrating the successive stages in the clinching of the large type fiat staples in conjunction with a stapling machine.

With reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, the flap holder designated at 10 comprises a bar or blade member 11 preferably formed of steel and having suflicient width to give it adequate lateral strength having a support portion 11a and a lever portion 11b to which a handle member 12 is secured at one end.

Spaced from the outer end of the blade member 11 is a cross-bar formation 13 consisting of a pair of rods 14 and 15 which are secured as by welding to the plane of the blade member 11, at substantially right angles.

With reference to Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings, a carton 16 is shown partlyassembled, the upper edges of carton walls 17 and 17' having appended thereto inner top flaps 18 and 18 and carton walls 19 and 19' having appended thereto outer top flaps 20 and 20. J 1

In the usual manner in closing the end of the carton 16, the inner top flaps 18, 18 are folded inwardly as designated by the arrows 'in Figure 3, and subsequently the outer top flaps 20, 20' are folded inwardly, again as designated by arrows in Figure 3.

With the inner and outer flaps so disposed in planar relation, the holder is placed with its outer end 21 between the abutting edges 22 and 22' of the outer top flaps and 20', respectively, the edge 23 of outer end 21 under the leading edge 24 of inner top flap 18.

As will be seen in Figure 4, the bar formation 13 -1 possible for a staple to be placed in the position of the staple 28 in Figure 6 while the outer end 21 of the blade 11 is in the position shown in Figures 4 and 5.

It will also be appreciated that by virtue of the broad flat surface of the blade element 11 extending through the slit defined by the edges 22 and 22 of the top flaps 20'a.ud 20 there is an aligning action which assists in maintaining'the position of the forward portion 21 in alignment with the slit or separation so that the stapling machine 25 can be readily placed in the position to drive a staple as at 26.

It will be understood that variations or modifications in the structure of the tool may be undertaken by perof holder 10 extends transversely of the outer top flaps top flaps throughout their entire extent and withstand the forces exerted by the stapling machine 25.

With reference to Figure 6 there is shOWn a stapling pattern with staples 26 and 27 across the corners and a staple 28 bridging the abutting edges 22, 22', of-the top flaps 20 and 20.

In Figures 7, 8 and 9 there is shown a typicalclinching action of a stapling machine 25 in which clinching fingers 29 are shown piercing the outer top flap portion 30 and inner top flap portion 31 to present a curved guideway to deform the legs 32 of a staple 33.

The successive stages of clinching the legs 32 of staple 33 under the application of force of the stapling machine 25 are illustrated in Figures 8 and 9.

In particular, it will be noted that the ends of the clinching fingers 29 are spaced as at 34 and that it will be sons who are skilled in this art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention defined in the appended claim.

What I claim is:

A device for positioning for stapling the flaps of a carton having a pair of folded end flaps spaced from each other in a first plane and a pair of folded side flaps substantially meeting along a line, in a second plane immediately overlying said first plane, comprising a straight inflexible blade member having a support portion and a lever portion and a cross bar centrally fixed to said blade member at right angles thereto between said portions thereof, said support portion being insertable between said side flaps along said line without causing permanent deformation thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

